#78: Practicing empathy in the age of COVID

How can you offer empathy to those who see masks + vaccines differently than you do as well as how to teach your kids empathy in this craziness?

If you’ve ever felt judged, defensive, or misunderstood because of your COVID choices,

OR if you’ve ever wondered why we’re all so hateful to each other online and in-person about masks and vaccines and wonder how we can treat others with kindness,

OR if you’ve never felt more polarized from your family, friends, church, school district, or nation than at this moment in history, you’re in the right place.

In this episode, we’ll break down:

What it’s like be a human right now
What’s going on beneath the surface
And practical ways to offer and teach empathy in an unkind world.

How to practice empathy in your real life

Practice self-compassion.
Before you react to a hurtful comment or passive-aggressive remark, ask yourself if what you’re about to say is true, kind, and helpful.
Challenge yourself to be kind twice a day.
Talk with people who have a different perspective than you do.
Pray. Pray for those with whom you disagree, that they will be blessed. Ask for forgiveness when you start going into self-righteous, judgy mode.

How to teach empathy to your kids

Your kids need to know emotions. They should be able to identify their own emotions and the emotions of others.
Your child needs to know who she is.
Give your kids a good empathetic role model to follow.
Talk to your kids about what’s going on. Share the reasons why your family has made the decisions you have.
Help your kids look for similarities in others who disagree with them.

We must ask God for the strength to serve, the power to listen, and the grace to understand the life of another.

Key Quotes

Do not discount your weariness or the fact that your brain hurts or that you feel a bit more on edge.
We are angry because we are fearful, and our fear wants to be heard and acknowledged, but we have no outlet for it.
We are Kingdom people. Not anti-maskers or pro-vaxx-ers, but Kingdom people who live in the unshakable kingdom of God.
We need Jesus to fill in the gaps when we feel angry and misunderstood.
Loving others means listening without judgment.